Completing Your Financial Aid Application

STEP 1: Submit a Free Application for Federal Student (FAFSA) to the federal
government either online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or in the mail.

FAFSAs are available in the Financial Aid Office if you need them. We also have tip sheets on how to complete the FAFSA. Be sure to list the Merced College school code, 001237, on your FAFSA. We also have financial aid computers in the Administration Building for you to use to apply online. In addition, there are weekly FAFSA workshops to assist you in completing your financial aid paperwork.

The federal government analyzes and summarizes the information you provide on the FAFSA and creates your Student Aid Report (SAR). You will receive your SAR via email if you provided an email address or at your address if you did not indicate an email address.

Please see the Merced College Financial Aid Handbook

STEP 2: Come into the Merced College Financial Aid Office 2 to 4 weeks after you
submit your FAFSA and pick up all our required paperwork.

If you have received your SAR, bring it with you. If not, we should be
able to access your information via our computer connection with the
Department of Education. We will ask you to complete some additional
Merced College financial aid forms (Supplemental Form, Terms of Agreement, Verification Worksheet, etc.).

STEP 3: Turn in all your financial aid paperwork to the Financial Aid Office.

It is very important to turn in all your financial aid documents as soon as
possible. You can submit all your financial aid paperwork before you
register for classes. If you delay or wait until school starts to contact our
office, you may not receive your financial aid money at the beginning of
the semester. We always experience a summer backlog of financial aid
files and you may find yourself behind hundreds of other students.